Clothes washing machine



June 2l, 1938. P. E. GELDHOF CLOTHES WASHING MACHINE Filed NOV. 21, 1932 3 Sheets-Sheet l Jane 21, 193s. `I=.E.GE|.DHF l2,121,523

CLOTHES WASHING MACH INE WITNESS ATIDRNEYS. I

f f BY N Y l A v 'JMWZ WM/W I June 21, 1938. P. E. GELDHOF CLOTHES WASHING MACHINE 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 Filed NOV. 2l, 1932 AUURNEYS Patented June 21, 1938 UNITE-o STATES PATENT OFFICE y CLOTHES WASHING MACHINE Application November 21, 1932, Serial No. 643,635

i Claim.

. and means for washingl clothes.

In washing machines of the prior art of the reciprocable agitator type, thorough cleansing of the fabrics being Washed was impossible, or if possible, could not be accomplished in as short a time as desired because the clothes were not tumbled about sumciently and because the clothes were subjected to no substantial scrubbing action. During the clothes washing operation also, the clothes had a tendency to remain substantially dormant, especiallyif the vat were well filled with clothes, so that new clothes surfaces were not being constantly presented to the scrubbing action of the agitator. Consequentlm the clothes were neither scrubbed sufflciently nor uniformly. Almost total reliance for thorough cleansing of the clothes was placed on the agitation of the cleansing uid which has been found to be'inadequate.4

.An object oi my invention is to provide a novel method 'and means for washing clothes by which the aforementionedvdimculti'es are overcome and generally more thorough cleansing of the clothes is secured.

` Another object of my invention is to providei meanalwhereby clothes are tumbled about and' the entire contents ot the clothes. washing vat are subjected to an effective scrubbing action.

urther object of my invention is the provis lbf a `novel method and means for washing clot s whereby the cleansing fluid is caused to passithrough and around the clothes, while at the same time, the clothes are subjected to an ei- V ffective scrubbing action. v i

My `invention further contemplates the pro- Vision' ofmeans whereby the clothes are subjected to an effective scrubbing action and although substantially suspended-in .the cleansing fluid, lare'nmoved upwardlyv and downwardly and tumbled about in the vat, while the cleansing huid in thevat is passed through and around them. e

\ Other objects and advantages of 'my invention will be more apparent from a perusal of the speciiicatiomtaken in connection with the drawe ings, in which:-

Figure 1 is a plan view o -my novel agitator. d

Figure 2 is a vertical view of the agitator shownA `in Figure `1.

Figure 3 is a partial vertical sectional view 'showing my novel agitator mounted in a washing machine. y

Figure 4 is a view taken on line 8 4, Figure 3, in the direction indicated by the arrow.

(ci. ca -131) Figure 5 is a view taken on line 5--5 of Figure 3 in the direction indicated by the arrow.

Figure 6 is a view of an alternate construction in which the agitator is rotated, as well as reciprocated. 5

Figure '7 is a view taken on line 'l-l of Figure 6.

Figure 8 is a view taken on line 8-8 of Figure 6.

Figures9 and 10 are plan and sectional views of an alternate form of my novel agitator.

Y Figures 11 and l2 show another alternate convi0 struction for an agitator. i

Figures 13 and la disclose still another alternate form in which the agitator may be made.

In my invention, I provide a novel method and means for washing clothes whereby` the clothes l5 are cleansed by the passage of cleansing iiuid through them, the cleansing uid being caused to flow in powerful well-defined currents, first in one direction, and then in the opposite direction whereby the cleansing fluid iscaused to pass ,g o completely through and around the clothes'. Further, the clothes are eiectively agitated and tumbled about so as to expose new clothes surfaces notronly by the turbulent action of the cleansing iluid but also by the movementof theclothes- 25 washing means itself. Still further, while the water and clothes are being thus agitated, the clothes are moved upwardly'and downwardly in the vat and subjected to an effective scrubbing action. 30

Referring more particularly to Figure of thc drawings, in a vat il which may be of any desired shape and which, as shown in the drawings, comprises a substantially horizontal bottom l2 and vertical side walls It, an agitator or im-j`35 y -peller members is made irregular or scalloped,

and on the upper and lower surfaces oi each of theimpellers, there is formed ,a series of circular projections or steplike formations i9 designed tov cause a rubbing action on the clothes as vthe agitator is reciprocated. Preferably the lower impeller I'i is made slightly larger in diameter than the upper impeller I6 so that the lower impeller will project beyond the upper impelier and contact with the clothes and also so that there will be a greater tendency for the clothes to be carried upwardly and downwardly in the vatwhen the agitator is reciprocated.

The impellers are mounted on a hub 2 I which is preferably'formed integr'al with the impellers and provided with a central bore 22 ior receiving a plunger rod 23. Theupper portion of the hub 2i is provided with an aperture 2 4 for receiving a pin 26 and the upper portion oi' the plunger rod v23 is provided with a pluralityof apertures 21 adapted to receive the pin 28 by which the agitator is secured to the plunger rod. A second pin 23 contacting with a ilat spot 29 on the pin 26 serves to retain the pin 26 in position and prevent its complete removal.

concentric with the plunger rod 23 and adapted to be received within an enlarged portion 25 of the central bore 22 is a tubular-sleeve 3|. The tubular sleeve 3l' acts as a guide for the plunger rod 23 through a support 32. Packing 33 is provided around the shaft 4and retained incompressed condition to prevent leakage along the shaft by means of a spring 34. A nut 36 is threaded internally of the sleeve 3| and retains the packing in position.

The tubular sleeve 3| is 'ang'ed at 31 and together with the plunger rod 23, projects through an aperture formed in the bottom I2 of the vat. A housing 33 for the operating mechanism of the washing machine is positioned. beneath the vat, and packing 33 is'inserted between the cooperating suri'aces of the flange` 31, the bottom I2 and the housing- 33, the entire assembly being retained in position by a flanged `nut 4I.

The operating mechanism for the plunger rod 23 comprises a motor-driven shaft 42 which is operatively connected to a crank arm 43. The crank aim 43 is pivotally-secured to a pitman 44 at 4l and the pitman, in turn, is pivotally connected to an operating lever 41 at 43. 'li'ie-oper-l ating lever 41 is rotatably secured to a link II at 52 whichrin turn, is pivoted at 53 `to a bracket I4 riveted or otherwise secured to the housing Il. A' link 53 pivoted to a gear case 61 'and the operating lever 41 at I3, serves to cause theinner end of the operating lever 41 to reciprocate in substantially a vertical line. It will be apparent that rotation of the motor-driven shaft 42 will` cause oscillation of the operating lever 41. A spring I3 secured to the housing" and tothe operating lever 41, normally urges the operating lever 41 upwardly whereby the load on the motor is deczeased during the upward movement of the lever 1. A

As more clearly shown in Figure 5, the operating lever 41 is bifurcated to provide arms 3|, the ends of which are apertured to receive freely rotatable therein pins l2. The pins 32 project inwardly to engage a trunnion 33 having a centrai bore 34 'to accommodate the plunger rod 23 and having a central bore Il to accommodate the pins I2. 'Ihe trunnion 33 is freely rotatable on the plunger rod 23 and is restrained against up,- ward. movement on the -plunger rod by means of a collar-l1 and' a pin Il, and against downward movement on the plunger rod by a washer 3l and a nut 1I threaded to the plunger rod.

It will be apparent that when the operating v lever 41 is oscillated, the plunger rod will reciprocate within'the sleeve 3| and carry the agitator I4 upwardly and downwardly in the vat II`. When clothes and washing iluid are placed in the vat as the agitator is moved upwardly, a partial vacuum will be created lat the bottom of the vat a and the cleansing iluid will have a tendency to move downwardly along the sides of the vat and inwardly towards the center thereof. lSimilarly, when the dolly is moved downwardly, the cleansing fluid will move upwardly along the sides of .the vat and inwardly towards the center thereof.

neath the normal level. of the washing fluid al- .though during normal operation, the hub may projept'slightly above the surface when the agitator reaches the maximuni height of itsmovement.

In Figure 6, I have illustrated an alternate form of the construction shown in Figure 3 in which the agitator I4 is rotated as 'well as reciprocated. I'his may be accomplished by securing to the plunger rod 23 a pin 13 which moves with the shaft and operates in a slot 14 provided in a plate r16. The slot may be inclined at any angle to the vertical, dependent upon the degree of rotation desired. The plate 16 is secured by nut and bolt assemblies 18 to a bracket 19 depending from `the housing 3l. When the plunger rod is reciprocated, the movement of the pin 13 in the slot 14 will cause the plunger rod together with the agitator I4 to rotate in one direction upon the upward movement and in the opposite direction upon the downward movement of the plunger rod. This construction will perhaps' cause a greater turbulence of the cleansing fluid, a more violent agitation of the clothes and a more thorough scrubbing action. Any degree of rotation may be obtained by changing the angle of the slot 14.

When the agitatoris both reciprocated and.

rotated, the action on the cleansing fluid and clothes therein will be somewhat similar to that described in connection with Figure 3, with the exception that when the.agitator is moved upwardly and rotated in one direction, the cleansing fluid will have a tendency to iiow downwardly along the sides of the vat and inwardly towards the center thereof and around the vat in one-circulatory direction and when the agitator moves downwardly and rotates in the opposite direc- 'tion, the cleansing fluid will have a tendency to flow upwardly along the sides of the vat and inwardly towards the center thereof, and in the opposite circulatory direction around the vat.

In Figures 9 to 14, I have illustrated other forms oi' agitators which may be used. The manner oi securing the agitators to the plunger rod 23 may be exactly the same as described in connection with Figure 3, the'only diierence being in the form of the agitator. t

The agitator of Figures 9 and 10 is formed with substantially smooth surfaces BI, the lower impeller I1 of which is slightly greater in diameter than the. upper for the purpose previously de- 'ribed The 'agitator shown in Figures 1l and 12, formed integral with the hub 2I, comprises a single disk-shaped member 82, the plane of which lies at an angle to the hub. Figures 13 and'14 show a single impeller agitator with4 smooth surfaces 83 similar to that shown in Figures 9 and l0. The agitator in this case is made non-round and'has projectingportions 84 and indented portions l5 for the purpose of, as discussed in connection with Figures 1 and 2, securing a better grip on the clothes and a more effective scrubbing action. The agitators shown in Figures 9 to 14 may be reciprocated, as shown in Figure 3, or may be both reciprocated and rotated, as shown in Figure 6.

It will be apparent that various changes and modifications of my invention may be made, without departing from the scope thereof, and I do not desire to restrict myself to the exact size, shape or relation of parts, asyarious changes may be made within the scope of the appended claim.V

What I claim is:

A machine for washing clothes, a vat for containing the washing uid and clothes to be washed, an agitator mounted `in said vat, a plunger rod to which said agitator is secured extending upwardly through the bottom of the vat, said agitator comprising a substantially circular body member, the long axis of Vwhich extends at an angle to the bottom of the vat, and means for reciprocating said agitator upwardly and down- 10 wardly in the vat.

PETER EDUARD GELDHOF. 

